”My Game History” 10.1.- 12.3.2017
Studio

The studio space of the Finnish Museum of Games is reserved for small temporary exhibitions. Among other things, these exhibitions will bring forth interesting phenomenons and products of the gaming world, as well as the history and people around them.

ON DISPLAY

Disk Covers – C-64 and demoscene disk covers12.10.2018–6.1.2019

The Commodore 64 gave birth to a varied and rich subculture of personalised disk covers. Demoscene and cracker groups from around the world used skilfully hand-drawn and photocopied covers to decorate their products from the 1980s onwards.

Floppy disks, or floppies, needed paper protection when, before the age of the Internet, they were sent by mail from one hobbyist to another. Mega swappers could have hundreds of addresses on their mailing lists. In the end, disk covers became an essential part of the C64 culture. The demoscene is very much alive and well on the Commodore 64 and keeps producing new disk covers with its new releases. The Disk Covers exhibition displays these works from a vibrant subculture for the first time ever in Finland.

Disk Covers presents covers from the 1980s up to the present day. Works from Finland and from around the world are on display. The exhibition was curated by Ari “Duce” Seppä and Tommi “Electric” Musturi together with Zooparty ry, an association specialising in C64 culture.

The exhibition is available in English.

Quirky Handhelds30.5.2018 – 7.10.2018

The Quirky Handhelds exhibition showcases game collector Manu Pärssinen’s comprehensive handheld game console collection. Almost 100 handhelds and their quirkiest features from the 70s onwards are exhibited.

The exhibition is available only in Finnish.

PAST EXHIBITIONS

Cosplay – from game to reality
24.3.2018 – 27.5.2018

Cosplay (from the words costume play) involves dressing up as different characters. Cosplay is often thought to be connected to manga and anime, but cosplayers can choose their characters from all kinds of sources. Cosplaying is, however, much more than just dressing up. The Cosplay – from game to reality exhibition is made up of three costumes, as well as photographs and stories by cosplayers.

The exhibition is produced in co-operation with Lunatar Cosplay and Cosvision ry. Cosvision ry is an association which aims to advance cosplay as a hobby in Finland. The association produces the yearly Finnish Cosplay Championships, does cosplay projects such as individual cosplay competitions and works for cosplay promotion.

Everyone has a game history of their own. All of us spend time with toys, play and games, all the way from youth to adulthood and old age. We play alone but also together with parents, children, relatives, friends and strangers. The My Game History exhibition presents thirteen Finnish personal histories of gaming and play.

The exhibition is available only in Finnish.

Pelit magazine’s 25th anniversary exhibition
24.10.2017 – 14.1.2018

Pelit is one of the oldest continuously appearing game magazines in the world. It is also an integral part of Finnish game culture. The exhibition is realized by Pelit magazine.

The exhibition is available only in Finnish.

Image: Pelit magazine

22th of August – 22th of October 2017
Masters of Pixel Art

Masters of Pixel Art is an exhibition curated by Klas Benjaminsson (AKA Prowler), featuring the finest pixel art for both the Commodore 64 and the Amiga.

Ropecon – from the gamers, to the gamers
23.5.2017 – 13.8.2017

Ropecon is the largest volunteer-organized role-playing game convention in Europe, bringing together both hobbyists and professionals. The Ropecon exhibition is realized in co-operation by Ropecon ry, The Finnish Museum of Games and Espoo City Museum.

P.O.L.L.E.N – Steps of Production
21.3.2017 – 21.5.2017

P.O.L.L.E.N is a science fiction adventure game made by MINDFIELD GAMES. It was published in 2016. In the game, the player tries to understand what has happened on an abandoned space station. The game is viewed from the player character’s perspective (first-person). The production of the game lasted over two years and the game went through many drastic changes during the development.

This exhibition displays the evolution of P.O.L.L.E.N throughout its development. It includes screenshots and design documents of the different versions of the game. Over 300 pages of backstory and designs were written for the game, in addition to hundreds of graphic objects and gameplay functionalities. Some of these designs never progressed from the pencil and paper, while some were made ready but for some reason or another were dropped from the final game. As a result of this process of collecting and discarding features, we have a unique game with a versatile and functional environment; one can spend hours exploring. Experiencing the world using virtual reality devices offers a highly immersive atmosphere.

My Game History #1
10.1.2017 – 12.3.2017

MY GAME HISTORY

My Game History displays memories and personal items from thirteen University of Tampere students who’ve grown up all over Finland and even abroad. Each have their own path and have a unique history to tell.

Games are not an island isolated from everyday life but intertwined with it. Growth as a human being is deeply connected with play and games. Games are also a popular pastime; nearly 90% of Finns play something on a regular basis. These experiences are linked with identity, growth, relationships, other hobbies, and work.

These personal histories reveal and reflect boundaries set by parents, availability of technology, and social pressure. While playing in a small group is intimate, the shared items and culture add to the relatedness of otherwise personal experience. Impactful experiences can be recalled decades later, but so can the belittling and ridicule.

The exhibition was created as a University of Tampere course curated by game researchers Annakaisa
Kultima and Jaakko Stenros. It’s open for public between 10.1. – 12.3.2017 with students themselves present to tell you more.

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Located on the banks of the Tammerkoski rapids, Vapriikki is a museum centre that offers things to see and do for the whole family. We put up about a dozen exhibitions each year with varied themes including history, technology and natural sciences.